Guardian
by NorthernHarrier
Summary: The thoughts of Hadrianus, SubCerebrate to Araq of the Jormungand Brood regarding Kerrigan, when it was tasked to keep her safe in her chrysalis and beyond.


**NOTE: **I do not own Starcraft, and Hadrianus was my player username when I played the Zerg Campaign, so please don't bash me for inconsistencies regarding the novels and all, I've only played the games XD I didn't know that only senior Cerebrates could have names o.o; And well, since the player's Cerebrate gets killed in Queen of Blades... I'd rather not go there, I like the guy too much xD

* * *

_Awaken my child, and embrace the glory that is your birthright. Know that I am the Overmind; the eternal will of the Swarm, and that you have been created to serve me._

I was created for you, you know. I was created purely for you, to watch over your chrysalis, to guard you in your sleep, even as you drew our enemies to us. I guarded you, raised you, my brood was ever at your command.

In the depths of your sleep, you reached out to our enemies, and I was ever watchful. My brood was always there, guarding, watching… waiting…

….

And then you were born.

**Kerrigan.**

Ai, how I envied your form. You were the most beautiful Zerg I had ever seen. You had the power, akin to a Cerebrate like Daggoth, and yet… you were… perfect. You were human, and yet, you were Zerg.

I envied you. We all envied you, for you stood on two legs, while we were confined to crawling on our bellies. I was jealous, but the Overmind … ah… he admonished me for my jealously.

_When we assimilate the Protoss into our fold, my children, we will all be… perfect._

And that was good enough for a Sub-Cerebrate like me.

He bade me to keep my watch, and I did so. You yourself requested my assistance, and for that I was glad. You were, in a way, my child. Not the Overmind's.

Mine.

In effect, I gave birth to you, taught you how to walk and gave you the means to unleash your rage at our enemies.

I helped you disable the mockery the Terran had done to your mind. I followed you throughout our campaign, overran the Protoss and the Terran fools who stood in your way.

But…

When we took Aiur for the Swarm, I was separated from you. You remained on Char, while my brood and I went to take the Protoss Homeworld. I did not like my orders, but the Overmind, seeing at how successful. I was… torn by duty and by what seemed to be... what those humans called it… a 'paternal bond'

…

I chose my duty, you chose yours.

…

And then HE died. The bastard Protoss…

But then… while I protected my own brood by defending myself from the wreck that had once been the Overmind…

I heard you.

You called for me.

And I came for you at Tarsonis.

….

But you were different now, Kerrigan. You are not my child. You forced me… my brood, my children to kill the others in the Swarm. The genocide… the blood, the cries of my children… their outrage.

I could not forgive you, but I could not hurt you either.

You had grown, Kerrigan. It was both a blessing and a curse to be by your side as you massacred the rogue Swarm. They had gone insane, yes but…

They were our family. I could not understand why you didn't see it, but 'I kept my mouth shut', as the humans like to call it…

You gained allies, aye… but there, in the desert world… you destroyed them.

And while you slew the Protoss Praetor Fenix and the Terran Edmund Duke, I was wrought with worry.

Because I wondered if you were going to kill me too, that our ties never mattered….

In Shakuras, you infested the Protoss Matriarch Raszagal.

I could only watch as you used her as a bargaining chip, resulting to the new Overmind's death.

Kagg, Nargil, Kaloth, Araq, my Cerebrate-!

I could never forgive you, Kerrigan. I felt their pain, their voices.

I was angry…

But I could not kill you, Kerrigan. I could never kill you.

My Brood… what had been Araq's brood… they… we were frightened that you would kill us all.

I wanted to protect them, and so I followed, ever the obedient Cerebrate you had always known.

After all that… you stood tall over the corpses of our enemies… Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades…

I would stand by you, Kerrigan.

As a Cerebrate, as your guardian, I would stand by you.

But know this, Kerrigan.

Do not bite the hand that feeds, for you would have an enemy greater than the Protoss, greater than the Terran. I would be your enemy, Kerrigan, because that is what a father does.

I watch over my children… and put them in their place.


End file.
